Gas producer



April 2, 1929- c. w. LUMMIS 1,707,811

GAS PROD 'CER Filed April 22. 1919 I n ve nipv B yfli f ovnisy Patented Apr. 2 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. LUMMIS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASBIGNOE TO MORGAN CON- STBUCTION COMPANY, 01' WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01 [A8- SACHUSETTS.

GAS PRODUCER.

Application illed April 28, 1919. Serial Io. 891,835.

during the gas making operation.

The present invention contemplates certain improvements in the principles of producer 0 ration set forth and described in United S tates Letters Patent No. 1,659,493, dated February 14, 1928, wherein is disclosed a construction adapted to produce agitation in the lower portion of the fuel bed at a much slower rate than the agitation at or near the surface of said fuel bed. The features of the improved construction are fully set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a gas producer embod 'ng the invention.

ig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of operating mechanism as seen from the left hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of said operating mechanism in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2. ferring to the drawings, the producer therein'illustrated embodies the usual fuel 0 t containing shell 1, having a depending portion 2 that is adapted to make a seal with the water in an ash pan 3, on which the bed of fuel rests. The ash pan 3 is adapted to be continuously rotated at a constant speed by means of a gear 4 secured thereto and in mesh with a pinion 5 on the shaft 6 of a suitable as motor or other driving device 7, said ash pan being supported for rotative movement upon a plurality of rollers 8, of which only one is shown. The distribution of a blast of air or air and steam to the fuel bed is accomplished by a blast structure 9 which is carried by the center of the rotating ash pan, and which rotates therewith, said structure providing a plurality of radial blast distributing arms 10, 10, and a central blast distributing hood 11. The shell 1 is supported independently of the ash pan 3 upon a plurality of rollers 12, 12, that are carried b the supporting framework 13 of the pro ucer. This framework supports the stationary 'cover section 14 of the a producer, said section providing the usual exit flue 15 through whlch are led off the gases from the chamber 16 above the fuel bed. The cover section 14 has adepending skirt 17 that dips into an annular water chamber 18 provided by the shell 1, thus forming a water seal which allows the shell 1 to be rotated relatively to the cover section and yet prevents the escape of any gas at the joint etween said sections. The cover section 14 also carries the surface agitating device 19 which ishere shown, by way of example, as a swingin leveller adapted substantially to float on t e surface of the fuel bed, and to change its position in re use to variations in the level thereof, as fu y described in the Lummis and Isley Reissue Patent No. 16,262, dated February 16, 1926. 4

For the purpose of making this surface agitator effective, the shell 1 is adapted to be continuously rotated, so as to bring all portions of the surface of the fuel bed under the action of the device 19. To this end, the wheels 12 which support the shell for rotative movement are ma e in the form of gears, to mesh with an annular rack 20, and one of the gears 12 is fixed on a shaft 21 that carries a ratchet wheel 21'. An arm 21" journalled on said shaft carries a pawl 21' for engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 2 A link 22 connects the arm 21" with a crank arm 22' on the shaft of motor 7, and the rotation of the latter procures the oscillation of arm 21", and the consequent step-by-ste rotation of the ratchet wheel 21' and the s aft 21, in a manner which will be well understood. This driving connection insures the continuous rotation of the shell 1 at a minimum speed of, for instance, four or five revolutions per hour, or such other minimum speeds as is sufiicient for the proper functioning of the surface agitating device 19.

The independent rotation of the ash an 3 is in the same direction as the rotation o shell 1, and the gears 4 and 5 are so proportioned as to revolve said ash pan, normally, at a slightly higher speed than the shell, for instance, six revolutions per hour. In this way, the actual relative movement between the ash pan and the shell is very slight, under the conditions assumed being only one revolution per hour; in other words, it is much less than the relative rotation between the top of the fuel bed and the surface agitator 19. In consequence of this arrangement, the agitation of the surface proceeds at the desired relatively rapid rate, while, on the other hand, the shearing action between the incandescent fuel and the ash is very much slower beparts will-rotate at substantially the same speed. In other words, the pawl and ratchet driving mechanism of the shell 1 insures positive rotation of said shell in the same direction as the ash pan rotation, and at a speed slightly lower than the speed of the ash pan; at the same time, said pawl and ratchet driving mechanism allows the shell 1 to exceed the minimum speed thus positively imparted, whenever the friction of, the contained bed of fuel and ash is great enough to overcome, in whole or in part, this normal lag of the shell behind the ash pan. The frictional resistance of the shell 1 to this increased speed of rotation may be varied in any suitable manher, as by a brake 23 on one of the wheels 12.

In spite of the independent rotation of the shell and ash pan, the radial distribution of blast from the arms 10, 10, is accomplished by discharging the blast from these arms beneath an annular hood or plate 24 carried interiorly of the shell 1, said plate being unconnected to the arms 10.

For the removal of ashes from the pan 3, a suitable plow 25 is journalled on the central blast pipe, and normally rotates with the ash pan and hence remains inoperative. When a latch 26 carried by the shell 1 is introduced in the path of the plow, the latter operates in the usual manner to crowd the ashes outwardly and upwardly over the edge of the pan 3, the rate of ash removal thus effected being consequent upon the slight difference in speed that exists between the shell and the ash pan. Suitable automatic means, not herein shown but fully disclosed in Letters Patent to Jeffcries, N 0. 1,198,037, September 12, 1916, may

be employed for limiting the duration of action of plow 25 to one or'more complete revolutions.

In operation, the ashes are loosened by the plowing so that the friction of the mass of ashesin the pan 3 is reduced, thus causing the shell 1 to be rotated at its minimum speed through its pawl and ratchet drive. The slight shearing action between the tire bed and the bed of ashes will cause sufficient agitation in the ashes to insure their settling uniformly without the necessity for any poking. After the plowing has been completed and as the ashes become settled, their friction will increase and the shell 1 will gradually tend to increase its speed until the plowing is oncemore inaugurated. During all this time, however, the surface agitator 19 will be functioning at substantially a constant rate, namely, under the conditions assumed, from five to nearly six revolutions per hour. It is obvious that the above described mechanism is susceptible of numerous variations within the scope of the present invention; for instance, the shell 1, instead of the ash pan 3, may be driven positively from the motor, and the ash pan may be revolved by the friction of the ashes.

I claim:

In a gas producer, a fuel section and an ash section cooperating in the support of a bed of fuel, means forrotating the ash section at a fixed rate of speed, the fuel section being rotatably mounted, and thereby adapted to partake of the rotation of the ash section in consequence of the friction of the contained bed of fuel, driving means for said fuel section to rotate the same in the same direction as said ash section and at a slightly lower rate of speed, and a pawl and ratchet connection interposed between said fuel section and said driving means, whereby said fuel section may partake of a higher speed than that imparted by said driving meanswhen the friction of the contained bed of fuel is sufficient.

Dated this 15th day of April, 1919.

CHARLES IV. LUMMIS. 

